Electronic data processing machine control panel and electrical contact therefor



Sept. 26, 1961 R. G. CLOUTHIER ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING MACHINE CONTROL PANEL AND ELECTRICAL CONTACT THEREFOR Filed Dec. 21, 1959 r mm 0 R. Q .1 Y m 3 mh 0W 4 ELL N R W F b Wm C gum M a L \5 s 2 H rmm m e p. m m. m I ,H R m m 3 site Sites This invention relates to an electronic data processing machine control panel and electrical contact therefor.

A control panel board and contacts therefor, such as described in the patent to Cunningham, No. 2,594,737, of April 29, 1952, comprises a set of electrical contacts on the machine frame over which is superimposed a perforated panel board so arranged that contactor plugs may be inserted through any of the perforations into engagement with the contacts therebeneath so as to make various circuit connections. Each contactor comprises a single short wire having a contact plug on each end so shaped that it may be inserted through the panel board hole. Each plug, as shown in the patent to Sesny et al., No. 2,779,929, of January 29, 1957, has previously comprised a spring pressed ball so arranged that when the plug has been inserted through the board, the ball springs into position to prevent accidental removal-of the contact plug. It is often required to eliminate a given step in the data processing and this could be done heretofore only by dismantling this portion of the machine and removing the wire contact plug from the panel board; but this involved consulting a Wiring chart at a later time and rewiring that particular portion of the panel board in accordance with the chart, such as to resume the previously deleted processing step, with a consequent loss of time and the need for an expert wiring technician to make sure that the board has been properly set up for the data processing step.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a panel board and contactor wiring so constructed and coordinated that a given contactor plug may be temporarily withdrawn from its electrical circuit contact but is allowed to remain on the panel board in position for a subsequent renewal of its previous contact arrangement.

A further object is to make a plug board panel and a contactor plug which are so-constructed and coordinated that aspring pressed detent or looking cam on the contactor plug will hold the plug firmly on the panel in either of two positions for either making or not making a circuit. Other objects will be apparent in the following disclosure. 7

In accordance with this invention, a removable plug board panel comprises two spaced perforated panel plates having aligned plug holes therein opposed to and aligned with electrical contacts on a third rear or under plate, and wherein the perforated plates are so spaced relative to a carnming detent or lock on a wiring contact plug and the detent has such an effective length related to the plate spacing that the plug may be held against the contact on the third plate, or alternatively in an inoperative intermediate position when the contactor plug has been withdrawn from its electrical circuit connection with the contact. In the inoperative position of the plug the detent will be located between and preferably engage the inner faces of the perforated panel board plates and hold the contactor plug in an electrically inoperative intermediate position where it is not readily removable from the panel.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, broken away to show the panel structure, in which the contact plug holw are indicated diagrammatically;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the "net Patented Sept. 26, 1961 ice two boards and showing three of the contact plugs, the top one in operative association with a resilient electric circuit spring clip, andthe other two out of contact with the clip, the middle one being held in a definite position relative to the two panel plates and a third in an intermediate position; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 33 of FIG; 2 showing the shape of the spring pressed detent which locates the contact plug relative to the panel boards.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the panel may comprise two spaced plates which preferably have been separately molded of a suitable insulation plastic material, such as Bakelite or the various appropriate synthetic resins. This structure comprises the two flat plates 10 and 12 having strengthening raised rim portions. The rim of the upper or front plate 10 comprises a downwardly opening channel shaped portion 14, as shown. The lower or rear plate 12 has its rim 15 shaped as an upwardly opening channel part. The tops and bottoms of the outer edges of the two rims lie preferably in parallel planes or are otherwise constructed for convenience in mounting the same in the machine in suitable relationship to the spring contacts thereon. The plates are shown in FIG. 1 as having a parting plane 18 between the ribs 14 and 15 along which the two rims may be cemented together by a suitable plastic resin cement, or the platesrnay otherwise be suitably connected to make a substantially integral or rigid structure. Either or both of these plate members may have one or more intermediate strengthening ribs, such as the channel shaped rib 16 shown as formed on the lower plate 12.

A multiplicity of pairs of holes 20 and 21 (FIG. 2) are provided in alignment in the two plates for the insertion of electrically connected contactor plugs 22 and 23 (FIG. 1) therethrough. Strengthening ribs 24 and 25 may be fashioned on the adjacent inner sides of the plates 11} and 12 respectively, these rib being so spaced that, say, five or other number of rows of holes may be located therebetween. The ribs 24 and 25 are in contact and may be cemented together, if desired. Other expedients may be adopted to insure a very strong and adequate panel which will withstand the stresses of storage,

transportation and use.

As shoWn particularly in FIG. 2, each of the two contactor plugs of each removable electrical connector comprises an insulated copper wire 28 suitably attached electrically and mechanically to a metal plug body 31 slidably supporting a metal contact nose 30 of, generally conical or bullet shape. This body may be a cylindrical metal casing 31 which carries the nose at its rear end. An insulating coating 32, such as rubber, may, if desired, be

molded over the rear end of the casing and the adjacent end of the insulation coating 33 of the wire conductor 28. The wire 28 may be electrically connected to the casing 31' by suitable means, such as by brazing the wire to the inside of the casing or by crimping the casing against the,

exposed end of the wire or by suitably contacting with the Wire a metal cap 34 which, in turn, fits electrically within the casing. The nose portion 30 is shown as integral with an inner substantially cylindrical body 36 of lesser diameter than the nose which slidably fits within the open hollow end of and electrically contacts with the hollow casing. The bullet shaped nose 30 and the casing exterior form a substantially continuous surface, as shown in the illustration of the middle plug in FIG. 2, so that the plug may he slid into the openings 20 and 21 of the panel plates. The casing 31 is provided with an annular outwardly projecting bead 38 adapted to limit the sliding movement of the contactor'plug throughthe outer panel plate 10.

The parallel panel plates.10 and 12 have a definite spacing and location, and in accordance with a primary 3,002,170 4 A w r feature of this invention, a spring pressed camming detent or lock member 40 is so located and mounted in a socket in the contactor plug that it may engage the rear face 41 of the panel plate 12 when the plug nose 30 is inserted through the holes 20 and 21 into proper electrical engagement with a resilient clip 42 mounted on a back plate 43 carried by the machine frame. This member 42 is of suitable construction and may comprise a strip of brass bent to provide a substantially cylindrical rear portion 44 shaped to fit within a hole in the back plate 43. The front part of the clip 42 has sufiicient resiliency and is so shaped and located that the bullet shaped nose 30 may lift it enough to provide a very firm and satisfactory electrical contact between the two members. It will be understood that the part 44 of this spring contact is suitably connected with other electrical mechanisms of the machine, as is required for processing the data.

The contact nose 30 which fits easily within the holes 24 and 21 is to be withdrawn from engagement with the clip 42 by pulling forwardly on the insulating coating 32 of the plug. To permit such movement of the plug, the detent 4%) moves downwardly into the hollow casing 31 as the plug nose passes through the hole 20 or 21 in one of the plates. The detent 40 is sized longitudinally to engage both of the panel plates and 12 when pulled to the middle position of FIG. 2 and so normally prevent accidental removal of the contact plug. The top portion of the detent 40 has a somewhat ellipsoidal, cylindrical or other suitable shape and is so sized that its front and rear noses 45 and 46 engage the adjacent inner faces of the panel plates 12 and 10, respectively, and restrain endwise movement of the contact plug. Because of the detent contacting both plates, the contactor plug is held firmly in an electrically inoperative position, but it nevertheless remains on the panel, as shown by the position of the middle plug of FIG. 2.

To provide for this positioning and movement of the detent 40, the inner slidable body 36 is formed with a sloping surface 48 which makes a suitable acute angle, such as 45, with the center line of the contact plug. The detent 40 likewise is cut on its lower side to provide an under plane surface 49 arranged parallel with and slidably fitting on the flat surface 48 of the inner plug body 35.

The body 36 is shown as having a somewhat reduced diameter near the sloping surface to reduce the friction. As shovm in FIG. 3, the substantially cylindrical body 36 may be cut away to provide a central groove or runway within which the detent slides. The inner body 36 may be made of a piece of shaped sheet metal, if desired. The inner hollow of the body carries a helical coiled spring 50 mounted to engage the front of the detent 40 and a suitable wall 51 forming the front end of the slidable body 36. The spring tends to force the detent upwardly within the elliptical opening 52in the casing through which it partially projects. That detent has both its front and rear surfaces 45 and 46 so shaped as to provide the required camming and locking operations. The hollow cylindrical casing 31 is cut away at 52 to provide an opening shorter in length and width than the corresponding largest dimensions of the detent, so that the latter cannot escape upwardly through the opening, but a portion of its tapering or ellipsoidal top surface projects through the opening 52 as required to engage the plates 10 and 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the edge of the opening 52 may be inturned to prevent escape of the detent. The detent and spring may be assembled from the cord end before the electric cord is attached and the casing 31 bent inwardly or otherwise finally shaped. When longitudinal force is applied to thrust the contact plug into the panel towards the spring clip 42, the detent 40 will necessarily slide down the inclined surface 48 against the pressure of the spring 50, and this will cause the nose portion 30 to move a sufficient extent outwardly of the main body of the plug casing.

In the construction shown, the plug may be easily moved through the axially aligned holes in the two plates of the panel and into contact with the spring clip 42, but it cannot be withdrawn by pressure against the nose 30 of the plug. To this end, the inner hollow body 36, which carries the detent 40 and the spring 50, is arranged to slide rearwardly to allow the detent to move downwardly in the body when it must pass through the hole 20 or 21 of the panel. tending to move the detent outwardly through the opening 52 in the casing 31 and thus holds the plug in the locking position shown in the top two plugs of FIG. 2. If a force were applied on the nose 30 tending to move the plug toward the right, this would apply pressure against the detent tending to lift it further upwardly through the opening 52 and thus lock it against the side of the panel. If, however, it is desired to withdraw the plug from the panel or to the intermediate position, then by pulling forwardly on the front or cord end of the plug, this causes the detent 40 to cam down against the edge of the adjacent hole in the panel and thrust the nose 30 outwardly toward the left, as shown at the bottom portion of FIG. 2. The spring 50 is contained wholly within the movable body 36 and its sole purpose is to hold the detent upwardly within the hole 52 or to be compressed and allow the detent to pass through the hole 20 or 21 in the panel. The forward movement of the inner body '36 toward the cord 28 is necessarily limited by the nose 30 engaging the end shoulder on the casing 31, as is best indicated at the bottom plug of FIG. 2. (3n the other hand, the inner body 36 cannot be withdrawn from the casing 31 because of a lug 54 struck inwardly from the casing 31 near the front end of the spring, and this lug is engaged by a projecting lug 55 on the body 36 when the latter moves toward the left. Hence, the plug may be readily pulled out of the panel or to the intermediate position away from the spring clip 42, but it cannot be accidentally forced outwardly when, for example, the panel is removed from the machine and treated roughly. This arrangement makes it easy to delete any given data processing operation by merely pulling the plug to the intermediate position shown at the middle of FIG. 2. The electrical contact with the spring clip 42 is thereby broken, but the plug remains in a locked position whereby it may be later pushed back into contact with the spring clip when desired. It, of course, is understood that two of the plugs on a wire are moved into contact with separate spring clips 42 to electrically connect the same as required by the data processing.

It will be seen by inspection of the upper plug of FIG. 2 of the drawings that the preferred eifective length of the detent 40, when the plug is in an inoperative position, is the distance between the two panels 10 and 12, and that this length added to the thickness of the inner panel 12 is the distance of travel of the plug when moved between its contact with the spring contactor 42 and the intermediate and inoperative position indicated by the middle plug of PEG. 2. Hence, the spacing or separation of the plates 10, 12 and 43 is definitely related to the effective length of the detent, so that the plug may be moved into an operative electrical contact or alternatively to an intermediate inoperative position where it is held immovable by the detent. There may be some latitude in the effective length of the detent within the limit of holding the plug out of contact with the member 42 and yet maintaining that the plug in the aligned holes of the panels 10 and 12 is aligned with the spring contact 42. The effective length of the detent equals the length of the slot or opening 52 in the casing 31, as will be apparent. When the detent is at the left of panel 12 (the upper position of FIG. 2) the plug nose is held substantially fixed'in its electrical contact with the spring member 42 and cannot move except when the plug body is manually pulled to the right.

It will now be appreciated that various modifications The spring 50 exerts its force may be made in the structure within the scope of this invention. For example, the detent 40 need not touch simultaneously both of the inner faces of the two plates when holding the contact plug in an inoperative position. The detent may be spherical or other shape and of shorter operative length than the spacing between the plates, since its primary function is that of holding the nose 30 away from the spring clip 42. Hence, the contact plug may be axially movable to some extent provided an electrical connection is not made with the spring clip. Hence, the shape and size of the detent may be widely varied within the requirement of holding the contactor plug alternatively in and away from positions of making an electrical circuit with one of the contact members carried by the machine. By this construction, the circuit making wire with its contactor plug at each end may have its plugs movably applied through selected holes of the panel to engage or to be disengaged from two of the contactor members mounted on the machine in the same pattern arrangement as are the holes in the panel. Various other modifications will be readily ap parent to one skilled in the art in the light of the above disclosure. The above description and related drawings are to be interpreted as setting forth the preferred embodiment of this invention and not as imposing limitations on the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an electronic data processing machine, an electric circuit making apparatus comprising a fixed panel on the machine having spaced electrical contact members arranged in a pattern, a replaceable plug supporting panel having two perforated plates in a fixed spacing and removably separable as a unit from the fixed panel, said plates having sets of axially aligned holes in the same pattern arrangement of said contact members, and a set of circuit making wires, each having a contactor plug at each end which is insertable through selected aligned holes into electrical contact with the adjacent contact member of the fixed panel, each contactor plug having a spring pressed detent sized relative to the plate spacing to lie between said plates and arranged to hold a plug on the panel in an intermediate position out of contact with said members, the inner face of the plate adjacent to the fixed panel being so spaced therefrom that the detent may be moved to engage said inner face and hold the plug in electrical contact With the associated contact member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the efiective length of each detent is substantially equal to the spacing of the perforated plates so that it may engage both plates and hold the associated plug fixed in an inoperative intermediate position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,506,615 Rosen May 9, 1950 2,714,195 Beatty July 26, 1955 2,758,290 Watts Aug. 7, 1956 2,779,929 Sesny et al. Jan. 29, 1957 2,879,493 Bender Mar. 24, 1959 

